Trump Orders Immediate Release of George Santos, Commutes Ex-Lawmaker’s 7-Year Fraud Sentence

A Sudden Release for a Former Lawmaker

President Donald Trump has made a sudden decision to release George Santos, the former New York congressman immediately. Mr. Santos had a seven-year sentence of fraud and identity theft in prison. The president declared that he would reduce the sentence, an action that will reduce the prison term but none of the criminal conviction will be deleted. Mr. The order was issued just after Santos had served approximately three months of his 87-month sentence.

President Trump posted his reasons on his social media source, Truth Social. He wrote that though he considered Mr. Santos to be some form of a rogue, he believed that the seven-year prison sentence was excessive. His president asserted too that Mr. Santos had been terribly abused in prison, meaning he was held in solitary confinement. Mr. The order of Trump implies that the ex-lawmaker becomes a free man now, and this question has provoked much response and discussion among people.

George Santos left the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey on a late Friday night. His lawyers expressed their extreme satisfaction with the decision of the president, referring to it as doing the right thing. The release was only days after Mr. Santos had personally written a letter to President Trump of which he was at prison. He questioned the president to understand the plight he was going through as he begged to give him fairness and an opportunity to go back to his family and community in the letter.

After being released, Mr. Santos has released his own statement. He claimed that he had been offered a real second chance in life. He said that his experience in prison was a humbling experience and that he was a new man, who was willing to work and do good. He also stated that he will direct his effort into fighting prison reform. The commutation brings to an end his prison sentence and there are even some reports to suggest that this commutation might also end the condition that he fulfills the hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution that he owed to his victims.

The Crimes of George Santos

The process of George Santos going to prison started with his election to the Congress in 2022. He was elected into the representative district in New York but this was soon followed by news that he lied nearly on every aspect of his life. Investigations pertaining to the news showed that he forged his educational record and had lied that he had degrees in universities he had not attended. He also lied about his career life saying he had worked in large companies in the Wall Street such as Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, something that was not true.

His career was not the only area where the lies were made. Mr. Another false statement made by Santos is the history of his family and personal life. These were the lies that caused a major social examination and examination of his money. At some point, he was accused of numerous federal offenses. According to the accusation of prosecutors, he had been running various fraud schemes over several years. He was accused of looting finances of the individuals who had contributed to his political supporters.

There was a strong case against him. Mr. Santos had been alleged to spend his campaign money on his personal bills, like purchasing designer clothes and paying off creditors. He further was accused of aggravated identity theft. This accusation was based on his activities of stealing personal information of his very own campaign donors and then proceeding with the identities and credit cards to illegally donate the money to his campaign without their consent.

With the evidence Mr. Santos admitted to various offenses, among which are wire fraud and identity theft. In April 2025, he was sentenced in federal prison to 87 months by a judge. In the course of the sentencing, the judge said that Mr. Santos appeared not to be sincerely remorseful over what he had done. He was serving his sentence since July 2025, however the recent order of the president drastically reduced his time spent in prison.

A Controversial Political Career

The most controversial time of George Santos in the modern history was his tenure in Washington, D.C. He was voted in in November 2022, as his party came up with a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. His reputation, however, was crumbling even prior to his official swearing-in into office in January 2023. His numerous lies were too detailed to escape an immediate scandal that his lies caused.

The members of both political parties called on Mr. Santos to step down, but he declined. He acknowledged what he termed to embellish his resume but served in congress almost a year. In the process, he was a dedicated party voter. This may be seen in the commentary on the commutation made by President Trump, who wrote that Mr. Santos possessed the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to VOTE-REPUBLICAN At All Times.

The strain against him was increasing. The House Ethics Committee would also initiate its own investigation and release a scathing report. According to the report, Mr. Santos had stolen campaign funds blatantly and used it to go on vacations and get beauty treatments among others. The results were so injurious to the extent that his fellow legislators sought to expel him out of the congress. 

His removal was the beginning of his political life and not his legal misfortunes. He would confess to the federal charges a couple of months later and go to prison. His short tenure as an assemblyman can be remembered as the saga of mass deceit. His release nowadays has overturned attention to the story once again within the national spotlight and has cast new doubts of what justice, loyalty and presidential power should be used.

Reactions to the Commutation

All opinions have been intense as to the decision to release George Santos. The action of the president was celebrated by supporters of the move who included some of the political allies of Mr. Santos.